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Amitai EtzioniUniversity Professor and Professor of International Affairs, GW University :

The most widely predicted course for Washington over the next two years is gridlock. I see it — this is true only for liberal policies but not for many conservative ones. It is already clear that conservatives will get basically the kind of extension of the Bush tax cuts they want — by far the biggest item for the near future, involving $3 or $4 trillion, depending on the small print.

In addition, they will, in one way or another, undermine what they call “Obamacare," although not abolish it. And the same holds for the new financial regulations. That is, they will roll back “only” the two main achievements of the first two years of the Obama presidency.

In addition, the conservatives (GOP plus select Democrats) will get to cut the spending of most if not all discretionary federal programs. And, if recent news items are to be trusted, the GOP may even get Obama to lead the trimming of entitlements, while conservatives will hold that they would not go near Medicare and Social Security, even with a children’s pair of scissors.

The FDA, the EPA, climate control, science — and above all, the new consumer protection agency — are all in for a close haircut.

Even D.C. gun control regulations will be further trimmed (although there is not much left to cut).

Additional contributions to the conservative causes are to be expected from the U.S. Supreme Court.

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